Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. N ARMOUR 8a A. J. HANCOCK.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 505,892. Patented Oct. 3, 1893 UNITED TATES PATENT FFIQE.

JAMES N. ARMOUR AND ANDREW J. HANCOCK, OF CHANUTE, KANSAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,892, datedOctober-3, 1893.-

Application filed May 31, 1893. Serial No 476,018. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES N. ARMOUR and ANDREW J. HANCOCK, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Ohanute, in the county of Neosho andState of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar- Couplers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to an improvement 1n car couplers and consists inthev construct1on and arrangements of parts hereinafter described anddefinitely pointed out in the claim. The object or purpose of thisinvention is a provision of an improved automatic car coupler to besimple in its construction, strong, and durable and adapted forapplication to the now commonly used pin and link coupler.

further object of the invention is the pro- 1S1l{0I1 of improved meansfor adjusting the These objects are obtained by the constructionillustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in the several views and inwhich- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved coupler. Fig.2 isa longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view and Fig. 4is a front elevation.

In the drawings A represents the draw bar,

ing therein which registers with the pin opening in the draw-head.

A longitudinal tapering channel E is formed in the bottom of thedraw-heads, the rear section of which is reduced in width and terminatesat a point midway the length of the draw bar. In this channel is placeda sliding plate F, havinga rodfon its rear end on which a spring f issleeved. The rear end of this rod passes through a metallic button fagainst which the end of the spring ongagesgthe opposite end of thespring abutting against the rear end of the plate.

Midway the length of the plate is formed an elongated slot in which aretaining bolt or screw is placed whereby the plate is held in positionand allowed a reciprocating movement against the tension of the spring.

G is a catch formed on the under side of the plate having a beveledfront'face, a lateral groove 9 and a vertical central groove 9registering with an elongated opening q through which the end of the pinpasses when the same is lowered.

On the forward end of the plate F is formed an upwardly extending flangeH having aboveled upper edge and adapted to fit in a depression formedin the front face of the lower edge of the draw-head. This recess is ofa depth corresponding to the thickness of the flange so that when theflange is forced back into the recess the same will form an evencontinuation of the front face of the drawhead.

In operation the pin is placed in the opening of the upper cross bar ofthe frame, the frame being raised until the lower cross bar engages thehorizontal groove in the catch on plate F, this catch being in directalignment with the lower cross bar, so that when the frame is forced upby any suitable means the cross bar will engage the beveled face of thecatch and force the plateF back permitting the cross bar to enter thegrooves at which moment the plate is forced forward by the springthereby holding the frame with the pin in an elevated position. When thedrawheads come together the flanges on the plates F are forced into therecesses thereby forcing the plate back releasing the lower cross bar ofthe frame and permitting the pin to fall and couple the link. By theemployment of the flange the impact of the draw-heads is transmitteddirectly to the draw-heads, thereby preventing injury to the plate andits adjuncts.

Directly in the rear of the chamber in the draw-heads is formed a cavityI in which a link adjuster K works. This adjuster consistsof a diskhaving a centralopeningthrough which a shaft K passes, the latterextending to the outside of the draw-heads atone end and having a crankK secured thereon. The

too

disk is formed with a tapering projection 7c having inclined sides andarranged directly in the path of the link. The upper end of thisprojection is normally held in substantially a vertical position by theweight of the crank on the end of the shaft thereof so that if the outerend of the link which normally inclines downwardly is desired to beraised it is only necessary to elevate the crank which depresses theextension of the disk onto the link forcing the same down to any desiredpoint and thereby elevating the outer end, so thatthe same will registerwith the opening in the adjacent drawing.

It is evident that minor changes can be made Without departing from theprinciple of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is-

In a car coupler, the combination with a draw-head having verticalgrooves in its sides and a channeled lower face of a vertically slidingframe having an apertu red upper cross bar, a pin in the aperture alower cross bar on the frame, a sliding plate in the channel having arod on its rear end, an abutment through which the rod passes, a springsleeved on the rod, an upwardly projecting flange on the plate of athickness corresponding to the thickness of a recess in the face of thedrawheads and having a beveled upper edge, an inclined catch on theplate in line with the cross bar of the frame, and means for slidinglysecuring the plate in the channel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We aliix oursignatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES N. ARMOUR. ANDREWV J. HANCOCK.

Witnesses:

, N. J. ROBERTSON, JOHN L. HARRIS.

